Powerful Writing Tips

Free resource materials to help you communicate more effectively are now available on my website:

Plain Language Tips – for business writing that is easy to read and easy to understand

Dynamic Tables and Graphs – to help you communicate with numbers

Effective PowerPoint Presentations – to visually enhance your public speaking

Resumes – a series of articles to help you prepare a killer resume

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Wirikuta Cactus Park, San Jose del Cabo

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The Baja Peninsula is a desert and the heat can be overwhelming. There’s been a lot of rain in the past two months, a source of delight and astonishment to the locals who say that they have had no rain for the past four years. The hillsides, which are normally brown, are currently green, but the dominant plant in this region is still the cactus, that canny plant that does such a good job of storing and conserving water. For a close-up look at cactus, we visited the Wirikuta Cactus Park just outside of San José del Cabo. It’s part of the planned resort community of Puerto Los Cabos, providing plants for local gardens and a site for events. But it also plays an important role in conserving endangered cactus and succulent species from around the world. The 12-acre garden houses one million plants, with over 1,500 different species and a labyrinth of 1,000 bonsai bougainvilleas. There are massive greenhouses with tiny cacti of all shapes and sizes. I particularly liked the ...
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Ottavio Italian Bakery and Delicatessen, Oak Bay Village, Victoria

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Food, Culture and History One last bakery/deli in Victoria. My sister lives near Oak Bay Village , and I always make my way along the Bowker Creek path to spend a half day visiting the stores in Oak Bay Village. The Village's Tudor-style architecture is a humorous reminder of Victoria’s strong British roots, and you can still enjoy a British-style tea at the Blethering Place Tea Room. But there are other cultural strands weaving their way through Oak Bay Village, and one of the most tasty can be found at Ottavio Italian Bakery and Delicatessen . Ottavio is a third-generation family business owned by Monica Pozzolo and Andrew Moyer. Monica’s grandparents owned a pasticceria, bar & gelateria in Torino, Italy for over 40 years, while her family has operated The Italian Bakery on Quadra Street in Victoria since 1978. The store carries over 25 extra virgin olive oils from Italy, France, Spain, Greece and the United States. One of the staff helpfully points out some of the ...
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The Golden Towns of Beaujolais

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Heading north out of Lyon, you pass through a long tunnel and exit into a lush green countryside leaving the city far behind. You then turn and head up the hill onto winding roads between a patchwork of vineyards. Many of the vines are really old with short, thick, twisted trunks and a thin stem of green leaves and buds. These are the Gamay vines of Beaujolais, interspersed with a few fields of greener, leafier Chardonnay vines. South Beaujolais, just 45 minutes northwest of Lyon, encompasses 25 medieval villages of orangey-gold stone (limestone and iron) that is surprisingly vibrant (I had been expecting something lighter, similar to the Cotswolds in England). Some of the villages still have the remains of 14th century castles. Oingt is classed as one of the most beautiful villages of France and it really is lovely. You can take a walk around the town on the former ramparts and the church is austere and beautiful. I was on a half-day tour , which combined stopping to...
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Purdy's Chocolates: Tasty, Local, Sustainable

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I’ve always been a fan of Purdy’s chocolates , bringing them home from trips to British Columbia or Alberta, so I was pleased to hear that they were opening a store in Saskatoon’s Midtown Plaza – and delighted to be invited to a wine and chocolate pairing to celebrate the store’s opening. I came away from the event even happier as I’d learned that Purdy’s chocolates are not just tasty – they’re also fresh, local, and sustainable. Local  Richard Carmon Purdy started selling homemade chocolates on Robson Street in downtown Vancouver in 1907. Their first chocolate factory was in a house on West 7th, and the company is still located in Vancouver. The Vanilla Caramel, Dairy Cream, and Marshmallow chocolates are still made using the original 1907 recipes. Purdy’s uses as many Canadian ingredients as possible. The ice wine is from Mission Hill Winery; the Chardonnay from Quail’s Gate. The mint oil is from Quebec and the Saskatoon berries are from – you guessed it – Saskatoon....
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Spelt and Millet: Ancient Grains for Today's Healthy Diet

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When I was growing up, whole wheat flour and rice were exotic options. Now we have a whole range of intriguing choices – buckwheat, spelt, millet, kamut – the list goes on and on. My problem is that I don’t know very much about some of these grains, so I arranged a phone call with Nicole Davis, the Owner/Manager of Daybreak Mill near Estevan. Daybreak Mill grows and processes approximately 18 different kinds of flour, whole and de-hulled grains, flakes, cereals, and legumes. They are 100% organic. “We want people to have access to healthy, wholesome food,” Nicole explains. Two of Daybreak’s products – spelt and millet – have been nourishing people around the world for over 9,000 years. Spelt Spelt was cultivated by ancient civilizations in Europe and the Middle East for thousands of years. It grows well in poor soil and doesn’t require fertilizer. It’s resistant to frost and the thick husk protects the grain from insects. However, spelt requires more processing than wheat as ...
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